Matt Murnane and Chris Hingston

HAWTHORN'S marquee recruit Brian Lake will stand in front of his new teammates and explain how a drunken night out in Sorrento at the weekend landed him in trouble with the police.

Lake faces possible sanctions from the Hawks' leadership group after he added his name to a bizarre list of recruits who have forced their new clubs into damage control before even pulling on a jumper.

The 30-year-old was fined $563 and kept in police custody for four hours on Saturday night for being drunk in a public place outside a pub in Sorrento.

The former All-Australian had been at the Portsea polo during the day before heading to the hotel with his wife and friends.

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A police spokeswoman confirmed a 30-year-old man and 31-year-old woman, both from Caroline Springs, were arrested on Point Nepean Highway in Sorrento about 10pm.

Police said officers came across the pair as they were leaving, rather than having been called to the venue, and it's understood Lake was taken into custody without incident.

The club said on Sunday: ''The club considers Lake's conduct to be unprofessional and he will be required to address the leadership group tomorrow [Monday].''

With the NAB Cup and a showdown with Geelong in round one on the horizon, the incident is far from ideal for the former Western Bulldog, who was traded to Hawthorn in a move the Hawks hoped would be a key factor in another premiership run with its current group under coach Alastair Clarkson.

Lake is not the only recruit to feature in the headlines over the off-season.

Richmond's Aaron Edwards was also picked up for being drunk in a public place just days after he was traded by North Melbourne.

Former Melbourne players Ricky Petterd (now at Richmond) and Jared Rivers (now at Geelong) also came under scrutiny for their behaviour after they were pictured drinking on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.